The AKM (Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanny) is the modernized variant of the AK-47, adopted by the Soviet Army in 1959. The main engineering change was a stamped sheet-metal receiver replacing the original AK-47’s machined construction, reducing weight and manufacturing cost while retaining the gas-operated rotating bolt action and 7.62×39mm M1943 chambering. The AKMS variant, adopted in 1962 for airborne and vehicle crew applications, incorporates an underfold metal stock reducing stored length to 655mm. The 7.62×39mm M1943 cartridge is a Soviet-standard intermediate round with no dimensional interchangeability with NATO 5.56×45mm or 7.62×51mm calibers.
The AKM served as the standard Soviet and Warsaw Pact infantry rifle from 1959 through the late 1970s, when Soviet frontline service transitioned to the 5.45×39mm AK-74. It remains in service across multiple armed forces, particularly in post-Soviet states and across Africa and Asia, and is one of the most widely distributed configurations in the AK family. Operators procuring eastern-origin infantry equipment typically require 7.62×39mm cartridges to support AKM and AKMS inventory.
Available for institutional procurement by ministries of defence, authorized defence contractors, and licensed importers via the assault rifles section of the Atlas supply catalogue. Inquiries must include variant designation, required quantity, delivery destination, end-user documentation, and applicable EUC or import authorization.